SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - The Quincy University cross country teams opened the 2026 season in impressive fashion Friday at the Prairie Stars Invitational, hosted by the University of Illinois Springfield. Both the women's and men's teams earned a fifth-place finish, while several Hawks made their mark in Quincy's 5k record books.
The women got the day started, placing 5th as a team with 102 points.
Katie Park led the way for Quincy, crossing the finish line in 19:40.56 to pace the Hawks in the season opener. Park's performance helped give Quincy a strong start as the Hawks took on a competitive field.
Behind Park was
Emily Faletti, who delivered one of the standout performances of the day for Quincy. Faletti finished 20:13.52, setting a new personal record in the process. Her time also moved her into 5th place in Quincy's 5k record book, giving the Hawks an early highlight to carry into the rest of the season.
Caroline Schoenekase was next for Quincy, finishing in 21:18.08. The performance marked Schoenekase's collegiate debut and gave the Hawks an encouraging first look at what the freshman can contribute throughout the season. Her time also earned her the number 9 spot in Quincy's women's 5k record book, adding another record-book performance to the Hawks' season opening results.
Ava Certa crossed the finish line in 28:47.63, while
Mia Robnett rounded out Quincy's five scoring runners with a time of 31:55.66.
The men followed the women onto the course and matched them with a fifth place team finish, recording 171 points.
Leading the way for the Hawks was
Joe Warning, who finished in 17:07.33. Warning's performance was not only good enough to lead Quincy on the day, but also moved him into 3rd place in the Quincy men's 5k record book.
Just behind Warning was
Austin Prince, who crossed in 17:12.44. Prince's time earned him a spot at number 4 in Quincy's 5k record book, giving the Hawks two of the top four performances in program history.
The record book performances continued with
Oliver Moore, who finished in 18:23.43 and now sits at number eight in the men's 5k record book. At the number 9 spot is now
Peyton Anders who followed with a time of 18:33.49, while
Jude Mintle rounded out Quincy's scoring runners at 18:47.50.
The Hawks also saw one more runner crack the program's top 10.
Vinny Olson finished 18:56.46, placing him number 10 in the Quincy 5k record book, while
John Damm crossed in 19:00.81.
With several of the Hawks entering Quincy's top 10 in the 5k record book during the season opener, both teams showed depth and speed right out of the gate.
Overall, the meet provided plenty of positives for Quincy. Both teams finished 5th, new personal bests, and individuals now in the record book for men and women's cross country.
The Hawks will look to build on Friday's performance and continue making their mark as the season moves forward. The next meet is set for Friday, September 11th at the Larry Young Invitational in Columbia, MO.
